Lin Xin

The name Lin Xin comes from Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian.^[3] In the Bamboo Annals, the name Feng Xin appears and succeeds Zu Jia, the same sequence, and they are thus thought to be the same person.^[4] This is reflected in Taiping Yulan, which merges the two into the same chapter.^[5]

Lin ascended the throne in the year of Gengyan (庚寅) in the capital of Yin (殷).^[4] He ruled for four years.^[6] In the Taiping Yulan, Lin Xin is said to have reigned for six years, citing a passage from Records of the Grand Historian,^[5] but said passage is not seen in the received text.^[3]

Oracle bone evidence suggests Lin Xin's reign promulgated early forms of education for Shang dynasty religious practitioners, with more than several examples of beginner's handwriting appearing on bones dated to his reign,^[7] particularly from the diviner Peng.^{[8][9][10][11]}